Method of assembling lamp stem parts



July 14, 1942. R. A. HINKLEY Erm.

METHOD OF ASSEMBLINGLAMP STEM PARTS 3 Sheets-Shee'fI l' Original Filed Feb. 28, 1938 (ttorucgs July 14 1942- R. A. HINKLEY ETAL 2,290,050

METHOD OF A SSEMBLING LAMP STEMARTS original Filed Feb. ze, 193e 3 sheets-sheet 2 ci ii' July 14, 1942. R. A. HINKLEY sul.

METHOD OF ASSEMBLING LAMP STEM PARTS 6 a .ellllHU 3 5 2f! W lllll J.

Original Filed Feb. 28. 1938 Patented July 14, 1942 METHOD F ASSEMBLINLAQMP STEM PARTS [Ray A. Hinkley and Eamunanweuech, Corning, l t

N. Y., assignors to Corningv Glass Works, Corning, N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application February 28, 1938, Serial No;

Divided and this application January 19, 1939, Serial No. 251,818

IClaim. The present invention is a division of Hinkley etal. application Serial No. 193,149, filed Februl ary 28, 1938, and relates to press or base assemblies for sealed containers such as electron discharge devices and to methods of fabricating improved forms of such articles.

Atype of press or base assembly which has proven desirable for use in certain types of electron discharge tubes comprises a vitreous press provided with a central opening communicating with an exhaust tube perpendicular to and hermetically sealed to the press. Metallic elements serving as leading-in wires are embedded in the press around the exhaust tube and the edge of the press is hermetically sealed to the tube envelope, the electrode assembly being supDOrted inside the envelope on the leading-in wires extendingthrough the press. 'Prior assemblies of this general form, with which applicants are familiar, comprise flat presses or bases and in order to keep the circular row of leading-in wires safely spaced from the peripheral edge portion, which must later be fused to the tube body, their diameter has to be made greater than desirable.

An object of thepresent invention is an improved form of article of the foregoinggeneral character.

Another object is a newwand novel method of fabricating tube base or press ass'emblies.

A still further object is a novel and simple form of apparatus by means of whichTapplicants novel method may be practiced commercially.

In accordance with the present invention the preformed press or base is made in the 'form of a shallow walledblank having an exhaust aperture through the center of itsbase surrounded by apertures through which the leading-in wires are passed, leaving the remotely disposed top of the wall for sealing to the tube proper which need be only of slightly greater diameter/than the row of leading-in wires.

A simple form of production apparatus of the present invention embodies among its features a of exhaust tubing and adapted for axial movement to bring the end of such tubing down over the centering element into lfusing relation with the press; and of a pressing/.head carriedwith the tube collet and adapted to compress the plastic press to effectively seal the leading-in wires thereto.v

The invention will be best understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in Which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of. one form of apparatus embodying the invention with certain parts omitted for the sake of clearness; y

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1,`but with certain parts omitted from Fig. 1 shown;

Fig. -3 is a front elevation of the upper half of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. l and 2;

Fig. 4` is an enlarged side elevation,` partly in section, of the upper partof the assembly;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the rotating support and certain of the associated operating parts;

Fig. 5a is an enlarged plan view of the leadingin wire collet sleeves;

Fig. 5b is a sectional view taken on of Fig. 5a;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing an alternative form of leading-in wire collet conrotating support capable of holding a circular row of leading-in wires in predetermined `relation with one another together with a preformed press through apertures of which such leadingin wires are threaded; of suitable burners for heating\the\ press and leading-in wires to render the press plastic; of a press center pin or exhaust tube centering elmentgadapted to move'axially through the support to maintain an exhaust passage through the press after it becomes plastic; of a rotating collet arranged above and concentric to the axis of the support for holding a piece struction; ,4

Fig. 'iY is l'a side elevational view illustrating a fragment of tube base support 3U with a set of leading-in wires assembled therein, a preformed press insectional elevation about to be threaded over such wires, and an evacuation tube suspended from a tube collet; and c Fig. 8 is a View of a completed base or press assembly as it appears just before being withdrawn from the collet.

The apparatus herein illustrated comprises a footed column II supporting the various operating parts of the assemblywhich are, for the most part, carried by a head casting I2 bolted to a motor and head` base I3 clamped to the column.

The casting I2 has a lower horizontal run I4 having housings I5 and I6 formed therein to accommodate suitable bearings fora vertical. drive shaft I'I and for a quillshaft I8 which at Thel The quill shaft I8 has a shoulder 24 (Fig. 5) by which the shaft is supported on the inner race of the upper one of a pair of suitable bearings 25. A sleeve I9 passes through the bore of shaft I8 and has its extreme upper inner end in the form of a cam surface 36 cooperative with a similar surface 35 on the outer surface of an inner sleeve I9'. The inner of these sleeves is slotted to form a circular row of exible fingers or collet elements 49 having grooves 49' and adapted to receive and yieldingly hold leading-in wires 68 (Fig. 7) against the inner surface of sleeve I9. The cooperating cam surfaces 35 and 36 of sleeves I9 and I9 are such that downward movement of sleeve I9 with respect to I9 forces ngers 49 inward to free leading in wires formerly seized between them and the sleeve i9. The distance of endwise movement of sleeve I9 with respect to sleeve I8 is limited by a flange 20 traveling in a space 28' provided between the top of sleeve I8 and a base or press support 30 xed to the top of sleeve I8. This support has apertures 29 therethrough in register with the grooves 49 in the respective fingers 49 and in the inner surface of sleeve I9. The extent of axial movement of sleeve I9 with respect to I9' is limited by an operating space 31 between these sleeves, while a pin 43 passing through sleeves I8 and through slots and in the sidewalls of sleeves I9 and I9' prevents radial displacement of sleeves I9 and I9 with respect to support 30 which would interfere with the proper introduction of leading-in wires in the respective collet grooves. The lower ends of sleeves I9 and I9' are threaded into collars 56 and 56' carried by yoked levers 59 and 59 pivoted at 39 and to which are connected collet pull and collet release pedals 69 and 69 (Fig. 3) by suitable rods 19 and 19.

The sleeves I9 and I9' and their associated operating pedals are normally held in their uppermost position by similarly arranged springs only the springs 38 associated with pedal 69 being visible.

A pin aligning arm 3I is carried by shaft I1 Vand held in suspended position by a spring 32.

This arm can be rotated clockwise until itsend 3| encounters guide bar 65 at which time its spacing element 34 is in coaxial relation with support 30. This arm is employed to press leading-in wires 68, arranged in support 30, to a common predetermined level as determined by the height of spacing element 34.

A knock out shaft 4I (Fig. 5) passes through the bore in sleeve I9' and has a flanged uppery end 42 which seats in an enlarged portion in the bore of support 30. The lower end of shaft 4I depends well below the lower end of sleeve I9' and in a similar fashion to sleeve I9 is carried in a collar 44 carried by a yoked knock out lever 45 (Fig. 4) having an operating handle 46 by means of which the knock out shaft can be raised to lift a fabricated press or base assembly 91 from support 30. Upward movement of shaft 4I is, however, limited by the pin 43 extending through a slot in the wall of shaft 4I.

A shaft 41. entering the bore of the knock out shaft 4I, at its upper end carries a center pin 41 and at its lower end is connected to a hand operated lever 58 by means of which the center pin 41 can be readily raised following the proper heating of a vitreous press 90 to pierce and/or maintain an aperture 9| through the center of the press open after the glass has become plastic in preparation for pressing of the glass about the leading-in wires 68 and for the fusion of an evacuating tube 11 to the press.

Any suitable form of heating apparatus may be employed. In the present disclosure (Fig. 2) a suitable form of burner 5I is mounted on a supf port52 adapted to be mounted on and pivoted about post 2I by means of a handle 96 and being free for removal from the support to enable an attendant more freedom in directing the burner flames onto the work if found desirable.

The apparatus for handling an evacuating tube 11 to be sealed to the press and containing the pressing head is carried by a' gear case 53 located v.intermediate the extensions I4 and 22 of head casting I2. This gear case has a housing 54 which contains a sleeve bearing 55 splined to shaft I1, enabling endwise movement of the gear case on such shaft and about which the 'gear case can also be'rotated through a horizontal arc in order to facilitate the various steps of the fabricating operations as will be more fully set forth hereinafter. rI'he gear case 53 is normally held in its elevated position by a yoke 51 linked to a pedal shaft 58 connected with the pressing pedal 60 held in its upward position by one of the springs 38. The end of case 53 adjacent the vertical run of support I2 has a tooth 52 abutting against a long guide bar63 which limits clockwise rotation of a case to a. position in which a tube collet housing 64 therein is in coaxial relation with the press support 30. The gear case is equipped with a handle 66 by means of which the case may be swung counterclockwise when in its uppermost position. With the case in the position shown and the pedal 60 lowered as is essential in a pressing operation a second guide -bar 65 becomes effective to definitely hold the case against rotary'movement in a clockwise direction thereby insuring the retention of housing 64 in coaxial alignment with head 30.

Free to rotate in the housing 84 is a sleeve bearing 61 having a gear 80 xed to its upper end. Projected upward into the bore of bearing 61 is a pressing unit holder 10 held fixed to the bearing by a set screw 1I. Pressed upward into a bell 12 of holder 10 is a pressing unit insert 15. Threaded into the upper section of the inner wall of holder 10 is a tube collet 16. As will "be evident a tube 11 to be fused to a press 90 may be introduced into the upper end of this collet and projected down through the bore of the pressing unit 15. This operation can conveniently take place while the collet and pressing assembly is out of alignment with the tube base support 30 during which time heating of a press and an assembly of leading in wires is taking place. A burner 18 carried by case 53 is directed toward bell 12 in order to maintain it and the insert 15 at the best operating temperature.

Rotation of the tube collet and pressing head assembly is effected through a drive gear 8| in mesh with gear and carried on the upper end of sleeve 55. Power for driving shaft I1 and its sleeve 55 is supplied by a motor 83 coupled to a worm 84 in mesh with a suitable worm wheel 85 carried by shaft I1 through a suitable clutch 86.

This clutch is normally held disengaged by a spring 81 associated with an operating assembly including a bell crank 13, a pedal shaft 14 and a suitable pedal 88.

In one method of using the foregoing assembly leading 1n wires 68 are inserted in the apertures 29 of the base or press support 38, between the spring finger 49 'and sleeve I9 being exactly after which pedal 69 is depressed causing sleeves I9 and I9' to be lowered in unison to draw the leading-in wires downwardly, thereby drawing plastic glass surrounding such wires down to the inner surface of the press. plication of heat, lever 50 is lifted thereby forcing the centering pin 4l' up through a center aperture 92 in the press. While holding-lever 50 in its uppermost position the gear case handle 66 is seized and the gear case rotated clockwise until the tooth 62 thereon engages guide bar 63.

Continuing the ap- The case is then lowered by depression of pedal 60 or handle 66 to bring the exhaust tube 11 down over center pin 41' into fusing relation to the surrounding plastic material. When it` has been determined that proper fusion has occurred, application of heat is discontinued by swinging the burner to one side and the pressing operation effected by further lowering the pressing head by means of pressing pedal 8U. There is no appreciable pressure applied to the tube at this time, as the tube simply slides upward through its collet 16.

T'he depth of the leading-in wire sockets in the pressing unit insert andthe extent of its downward movement is such, however, that the leading-in wires not only encounter the base of bell 12, but also force the collet sleeves I9 and I9 downward a slight distance against the tension of their springs 38 thereby positively insuring that the top ends of the leading-in wires are perfectly even.

As soon as the pressing stroke is completed, the

pressing pedal is released allowing the pressing head to rise to its uppermost position, and, of course, if the sleeves I9 and I9 have been moved downward by the leading-wires they are at once restored by their springs 38. The collet release pedal 69' is now depressed to lower sleeve I9 with respect to I9 thereby forcing fingers 49 inward to fully free the leading in wires. The knock out lever is now momentarily actuated to raise the completed assembly 91 and the bottom ends of its leading-in wires 68 clear of base 30. 'I'his leaves the entire assembly suspended by the evacuating ytube in collet I6 and by swinging the assembly can be readily effected.

In Fig. 6 is shown an alternative form of leading-in wire collet which may be substituted for the collet assembly comprising sleeves I9 and I9. In the alternative structure a single sleeve 98 has holes 99 drilled in the top thereof Vwhich serve as the leading-in wire collets and has its lower end threaded into collar 56.

The associated pedal 69 in this form of construction merely serves as a convenient means of lowering the sleeve 98 to assist in passing the leading-in wires through apertures 29 into holes 99.

The method followed when a one-piece sleeve 'is employed differs to the extent that during the heating of the press and the sealing of the evacuating tube thereto, the press is held off the support 30 by holding the knock out sleeve 4I slightly elevated. This permits the glass upon` becoming plastic to sag about the. leading-in wires so as to insure obtaining effective sealing thereof at the inner surface of the press without making it necessary to pull the wires downward to produce this result. The knock out shaft is released just as the insert 'l5 is brought in contact with the press. The subsequent operations are as already described.

f While in the present disclosure the single unit as illustrated is equipped with pedals and hand levers for effecting various operations it should be understood that, where large production warrants it, applicants contemplate arranging a plurality of these units on a rotating turret in which l case the various levers illustrated would be equipped with suitable rollers for actuation by a fixed cam track about which they would rotate. In such case suitable equipment would be also provided for automatically feeding leading-in wires successively to the respective units.. With such an arrangement one or two operators can attend a plurality of units with great efficiency of labor.

What is claimed is:

The process of making a lamp base assembly which includes passing a plurality of'leadingein wires through 'a circular row of apertures in a. preformedglass press, supporting the. press Vexclusively by a surface thereof well within the y circular row of apertures, holding an additional aperture in the press open while heating the glass to such state'that it sags about the leading-in wires, sealing an exhaust tube to glass of thel press immediately surrounding the additional aperture and then supporting the press on substantially its entire under surface and pressing it into nal form and into intimate contact with the leading-in wires.

RAY A. HINKLEY. EDMUND H. WELLECH. 

